Part I: The Philosopher's Stone
by warlocks.are.cool
Summary: A ten year old Harry Potter and his 'family' get transported to a room with a group of unfamiliar people. Together, they find a way to know and possibly change the future. / Part I of VIII. / Temporary Hiatus as technical difficulties are sorted.
1. The Prologue

**A/N: **Will contain Dumbledore and Molly bashing. Also, expect Sirius bashing during book 3. THAT will be extremely difficult for me to write because he's one of my favorite characters.

Slight mentions of abuse. The original writing will not be changed but if Vernon could strangle Harry and Petunia could try to hit him in the head with a pan then there is something very wrong in the Dursley home. It won't be something major, though. Just in this chapter and an explanation when Harry gets tested for signs of abuse. I'll give a warning for that chapter in case you don't want to read it.

Parings are as such: Neville x Luna, Remus x Tonks, Ron x Hermione, Sirius x Emmeline, and Dean x Ginny.

Harry will be in a slash pairing, but I'm still undecided as to with who, so please vote on the poll on my profile. :)

This chapter was posted on 02.09.13.

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_Chapter I - The Prologue,_

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Not for the first time, Harry Potter wished that he had a better childhood.

After his cousin Dudley's 11th birthday, he had gotten into so much trouble—again—and had to miss school. His uncle Vernon refused to let him out of the cupboard for something other than doing chores and three bathroom breaks a day. It might have been a normal punishment for Harry but he never liked it. He didn't like going to school because everyone made fun of him, but it gave him an excuse to be out of Privet Drive for a few hours.

None of his teachers made comments about his absence. It wasn't the first time that he had gone more than a few days without attending school, but there was nothing that could honestly be done about it. They all believed the lies that the Dursleys spewed about him being a sickly child and needing to take much care. Harry had nothing to make him state otherwise. He was small and malnourished because of their lack of care and the Dursleys enjoyed playing it up as his illness.

It had been three weeks since the punishment was enforced and Harry had no hope that his uncle would relent anytime soon.

The usual cry of '_boy_' was what made Harry hurry into the kitchen, not wishing to cause more trouble or for his uncle to make his punishment longer than it already was. But when he entered the kitchen, he thought that it would've been safer to take his time. His uncle was red in the face—which was honestly a normal occurrence, but it still meant that his uncle was angry at _him_—and clutching an envelope made of yellowing parchment.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon?" he asked in a soft voice, not making eye contact.

His uncle stood up and stomped towards him, grabbing him by the front of his large shirt before dragging him to where he left the letter. Harry stumbled a little as his uncle released him and had to steady himself with the table.

"This letter came for you, boy," his uncle growled. "Do you know what it is?"

Harry glanced at the parchment envelope again before shaking his head. "No, Uncle Vernon."

Vernon shared a glance with his wife before snatching the letter up. When his wife had noticed the parchment, she instantly knew that it was from _them_. They were both apprehensive about opening the letter but wanted to see if the boy knew anything about his parent's world. Taking a breath, Vernon ripped the letter open and found it empty. His face turned a brighter red and he made to tear up the paper when a bright light engulfed the entire kitchen. There was a strange sensation in their navel, is if it was somehow being tugged before they vanished from their home.

The first thing that came to Vernon's mind was that it was the freak that caused this. There was no other explanation. He turned to the boy—not taking in his surroundings—and lifted him off of the floor by his hair. "WHAT DID YOU DO, BOY?" he snarled, yanking at Harry's hair and causing tears of pain to glisten in his emerald eyes as a few chunks were ripped out.

"I didn't do anything, Uncle Vernon," Harry said, keeping his voice steady and hoping his uncle wouldn't take his anger out on him again. The last time he had obtained many bruises and a broken arm when he had lifted it while attempting to shield himself.

"DON'T LIE TO ME, FREAK!" his uncle bellowed, striking Harry's face and causing him to fall to the ground. He stayed there, his small hand pressed against his reddening cheek as he waited for the next blow. But it didn't come. He dared a glance up and sat up quickly as he took in the scene. His large uncle was being pinned to the wall by a tall, dark-skinned man with a gold earring and a man with gray-streaked hair and amber eyes. A girl with bright red hair that matched her flaming cheeks and a tall, balding man wearing glasses had sticks pointing at his face while his uncle tried to break free to no avail.

His aunt was flaunting about, waving her hands wildly while screeching about 'freaks' and 'savages'.

Before Harry could locate his cousin, a large foot swung and caught him in the ribs. Harry doubled over, losing his breath but looked back up when a shrill scream echoed about the room. Everyone's eyes were drawn to his cousin being held back by two identical red heads.

When a hand stroked his tender cheek, he flinched slightly and looked up to meet a pair of warm blue eyes. "Are you alright?"

Harry nodded his head, his eyes darting back at his knees while her hand gently caressed his cheek. "I'm fine."

When the woman opened her mouth again, another bright flash occurred. Harry closed his eyes, wondering if this woman was going to hit him because of it like his uncle had. When it didn't happen, he glanced up to see comfy-looking chairs set around a fireplace. There was a pile of books sitting on the small center table with a folded letter resting on top of the pile. Everyone froze, looking at the books cautiously before a blonde woman moved forwards to reach the letter.

She looked it silently, her eyebrows raising slightly before she cleared her throat and read the two words aloud:

_'Read Me.'_

There was silence, most wondering what was happening before it was broken by a soft whisper.

"Curiouser and curiouser."

When all eyes darted towards the voice, the girl looked down with flaming cheeks. She had rather large front teeth and bushy hair. At most raised eyebrows, she bit her lip. "Sorry, it's just like '_Alice in Wonderland_'." When no one made any signs of recognition, her eyebrows furrowed together. "You know, the story. A girl falls down a rabbit hole and lands in a room containing a table with a bottle placed on top of it that says '_Drink Me'. . ._ No?" Her cheeks flamed brighter when no one seemed to make the connection.

The blonde smiled slightly at the girl. "I've never read it. It does sound like it, though. What do you think, should we read them?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "When Alice drank the contents in the bottle, she shrunk down and ended up swallowed by a giant doorknob and taken into a magical world called Wonderland. But it's just a fairy tale. Magic isn't real."

The girl with the red hair looked up with a sly smile on her face. She placed her stick into her pocket and moved forwards. "Not real, eh?" She quickly knelt down to be at eye level with the girl and smiled mischievously before she scrunched up her face in concentration. Her hair began to change from the bright red to a bubblegum pink. A few people drew back. The Dursleys in horror at the use of magic, Harry and the bushy haired girl in shock that magic was real, and some of the younger wizards in envy that they couldn't do that.

The bushy haired girl stammered a bit before the blonde decided to ask again. "Should we read them?" This time, it was directed to the entire room. With most nods of approval, she seemed satisfied. "Then, let's sit back and get reading."

Everyone stayed silent for a while before the two men reluctantly loosened their hold on his uncle. Instead of letting him go, though, they shoved him onto the couch and Harry smiled slightly when he noticed that he couldn't get back up. His aunt glared at him, but she couldn't say anything because the woman with the now bubblegum pink hair glared at her.

"Well," the blonde started as everyone sat down. "How about we introduce ourselves. My name is Amelia Bones."

A plump woman was sitting in a love seat with the balding man. "I'm Molly Weasley, and this is my husband, Arthur and my children Bill" she motioned to a tall man wearing a snake-fang earring, "Charlie," a man with many scars and burns, "Percy," a teen wearing glasses "Fred and George," the twins who were holding back Dudley "Ron," a tall boy who seemed to be around Harry's age "and Ginny," the only girl on the sectional holding all seven of them.

The next seat held three kids. "I'm Neville Longbottom," the only boy stated before looking to the bushy haired girl. "I'm Hermione Granger."

The last girl on the couch was small with blonde hair. "I'm Luna Lovegood," she spoke in a rather dreamy voice.

"I'm Tonks," stated the girl with the pink hair. "This is Kingsley Shacklebolt," she waved her hand to the dark-skinned man that had been holding his uncle.

"I'm Remus Lupin," he man with gray-streaked hair calmly introduced. "And this is Emmeline Vance," he motioned to the kind woman who had been stroking Harry's cheek.

"They are my cousin Dudley, my uncle Vernon, and my aunt Petunia," Harry spoke in a whisper, sitting next to Emmeline who was gently rubbing circles on his back while staring at his family with loathing at how they treated a child. "And I'm Harry Potter."

The results were instantaneous. Many of the kids looked up and began to gap and even some of the adults had awed expressions on their faces. The hand on Harry's back faltered but never stilled, making Harry feel a little better at all the faces staring at him.

Remus tore his eyes away from the boy that he considered to be his nephew and made his way towards the books. They were all different colors, but held no other details beside a title on each: _Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII_. He grabbed the first book and sat back down next to Emmeline.

"Shall we start?"

Everyone had finally managed to stop gaping at Harry and nodded.

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_**next chapter:** _They read 'The Boy Who Lived' and Dumbledore bashing will commence. :D


	2. The Boy Who Lived

**A/N: **Okay, not much Dumbledore bashing, because he's still the leader of the light in everyone's eyes, but some will definitely not be happy about his choices. Major Dumbledore bashing will begin either after Christmas or at the end after Harry has to do all those tasks. Still undecided.

And here's Molly, showing her true intentions a bit. More of that when he go on. ;)

I'm already working on the next chapter, so I'll be posting it either tomorrow or the day after.

**PLEASE VOTE FOR HARRY'S LOVE INTEREST!**

I'm keeping the poll open on my profile until the end of the week. Thanks. :D

This chapter was posted on 02.12.13.

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_Chapter II - The Boy Who Lived,_

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Remus cleared his throat and began, "Chapter One . . ."

**Mr and Mrs Dursley, **

Petunia and Vernon started at the sound of their names.

"WHAT HAVE YOU FREAKS DONE?" Vernon shouted, glaring at all the wizards.

Many of the wizards took out their wands and pointed them at him, remembering when he had called Harry that. Harry shuddered slightly at the word 'freak' but otherwise made no sign of it affecting him.

"Why would we have anything to do with it?" Kingsley asked, his usually calm voice holding a hint of steel.

"WHO ELSE WOULD'VE DONE IT?! This has to do with something from . . . your . . . lot! So, why would you include someone normal like my family?"

"Normal by who's standards?" the twins chimed in together, causing some snickering. Vernon threw a loathing glare in the twins direction.

"We have nothing to do with this," Amelia spoke up before Vernon could begin yelling. "We don't know why it's about you, but it must be important. Why don't you just silence yourself so we can continue and find out?"

Vernon turned his glare on her, but settled back next to his wife.

**of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. **

Vernon nodded along with this and turned his head when he heard someone coughing. It was Tonks.

She cleared her throat and attempted to keep her face blank. "Sorry. Itchy throat." Vernon turned away and Tonks shot Harry a wink, a large smile crossing her face when she noticed Harry's shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

**Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. **

"What are drills?" Arthur asked.

"Not now, Arthur," Molly scolded.

"You can write it down and I'll explain it later," Hermione promised. Arthur smiled and was about to agree when Molly interrupted.

"There really is no need. Is there Arthur?"

Arthur's smiled dimmed.

"It's no problem, Mrs. Weasley, I'd be glad to do it."

Before Molly could say no again, Arthur grinned brilliantly and took out a quill and some parchment. Molly rolled her eyes and sat back.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. **

Vernon harrumphed at his description and glared at all who snickered.

**Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. **

"I never . . . I don't . . ." Petunia stammered, her face turning beet red with anger as more people snickered.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

At this, most of the younger kids scoffed. Dudley clenched his fist.

"No finer boy my—"

"CHARLES!"

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. **

"What's wrong with the Potters?" Emmeline asked. "Lily was one of my best friends."

The Dursleys sneered at her before glaring pointedly at Harry but they didn't answer.

**Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, **

"That's not very nice," Luna stated in her dreamy voice. Petunia opened her mouth to respond but Remus decided it was best to continue. He read the next sentence to himself and clenched his hands tightly around the book.

When everyone stared at him, he growled out the next sentence.

**because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband **

Many of the adults who knew Lily and James snarled at the Dursleys who just glared back.

**were as unDursleyish **

"That's not even a word," Hermione muttered under her breath.

**as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

Emmeline glared at Vernon and Petunia. "A child like what exactly?"

"A freak!" Vernon snarled back.

Emmeline took out her wand but Remus wrapped his hand around her wrist.

"They aren't worth it, Emmeline."

Emmeline wretched her hand away and wrapped her arm around Harry. "You're right, they aren't worth it. And I'm sure Lily and James wouldn't have wanted Harry mixing with a kid like theirs."

"What are you going on about?! MY DUDDERS IS PERFECT!" Petunia screeched.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Emmeline muttered so low that only Harry and Remus heard. They both stifled laughs.

**When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, **

"But I thought the story—" Fred started in fake confusion.

"—had already started," his twin finished in the same tone.

"Oh, shut up," Percy said as he rolled his eyes.

"Kill joy," the twins whispered to Ron and Ginny. The both laughed and drew confused glances. They waved for Remus to continue, still chuckling.

**there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work ** **and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

Dudley flushed angrily as some people snickered at his expense again.

**None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window.**

**At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"If we did that, we wouldn't be able to walk for a week," Bill stated, shaking his head.

"That's because your lot are savages," Vernon snarled as Petunia wrapped her arms around Dudley.

"We aren't savages," Amelia told him sternly. "We teach out children respect and discipline. You will just create a bully."

**'Little tyke,' chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house. **

"Yes, please continue to encourage that behavior," Tonks said sarcastically.

Petunia, who continued to cling to her son, threw her a dirty look.

**He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.**

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar – a cat reading a map. **

"Cats don't read maps," Vernon snarled.

Everyone decided it would be best to just ignore him.

**For a second, Mr Dursley didn't realise what he had seen – then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. **

"Seems that you're going crazy, Vernon," Tonks teased to the red-faced man.

He snarled at her but didn't say anything as some of the others burst into laughter.

**What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. **

"Yes, keep thinking that," the twins snickered.

**Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said **_**Privet Drive**_** – no, **_**looking**_** at the sign; cats couldn't read maps **_**or**_** signs. Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. **

"What's wrong with cloaks?" Arthur asked, looking down at his shabby cloak.

"Muggles don't wear them, Arthur," Tonks answered him. "They haven't for a really long time. It's what dad told me."

**Mr Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes – the get-ups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. **

"So just because they dress differently they're weirdos?" Ron asked, incredulously.

"Yes! They are all freaks!" Vernon shouted at the much younger boy.

"Don't go shouting at my son that way," Arthur yelled, pointing his wand at Vernon.

"Do you really think that you're normal?" Hermione asked the Dursleys. "Do you think it's normal for a grown man to slap their nephew? That it's normal to not care when their bully of a son kicks them in the ribs? You are far from normal. You lot are the freaks! No, you are more than that . . . you're monsters."

Vernon glared at the girl, who refused to stand down after her rant. "You little—"

You might want to rethink finishing that statement, Dursley," Kingsley warned. When Vernon looked around, he noticed everyone glaring at him and more than one wand pointed at him. Wisely, he figured it would be best to sit down and grumbled something under his breath that only Remus could hear. He shot the man a dirty look before continuing with the story.

**They were whispering excitedly together. Mr Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt – these people were obviously collecting for something … yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on, and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings car park, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. **_**He**_** didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. **

"Why are the owls acting so strange?" Harry asked Emmeline quietly.

"It's how us magic folk deliver our main," Emmeline answered with a smile.

"People were a bit careless that day. We had to do a lot of memory charms," Kingsley stated solemly.

Tonks nodded. "Yeah, but they were celebrating You-Know-Who's downfall. You can't really fault them."

"No, you can't," Amelia agreed. "But it still took us a while to clean up.

Most of the wizards nodded while Harry wondered who this '_You-Know-Who_' person was.

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at night-time. Mr Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. **

"Reminds me of Mad-Eye," Tonks said cheerfully stated, causing the Ministry workers to laugh as they agreed.

**He was in a very good mood until lunch-time, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk **

"Walk?" the twins asked in a shocked tone.

**across the road to buy himself a bun from the baker's opposite.**

"Oh, okay, I was worried for a second," Charlie stated before the twins, causing them to pout.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. **

"Really?" Neville asked. "You glare at them because of how they're dressing?"

He received no answer in response.

**He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"It's not polite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations," Luna told Vernon, not even looking in his direction.

He glared at the blonde girl, but she remained indifferent.

**'The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard –'**

**'– yes, their son, Harry –'**

"Me?" Harry asked. "My parents?"

Emmeline nodded. "Yes, Lily and James. They were heroes."

Harry opened his mouth but his uncle interrupted. "THEY WERE NO HEROES! THEY WERE A BUNCH OF LAYABOUT FREAKS! THE WORLD IS BETTER WITHOUT THE LOT OF YOU!"

"Don't you dare talk about something that you'll never understand! James was an auror and Lily was in the process of becoming a potions master. She wanted to be a teacher at Hogwarts, so they were not '_a bunch of layabout freaks_'," Emmeline yelled at them. "They gave their lives to defeat You-Know-Who, so you better show them some respect!"

There was a ringing silence, broken only by a soft whisper. "They told me my parents died in a car crash."

That was too much for most of the people in the room. Emmeline was the fastest, whipping her wand out and knocking Vernon unconscious. She turned and glared at Petunia who had begun to screech again. After another wave of Emmeline's wand, her mouth continued to move but there was no sound coming out. Dudley thought it best to remain silent.

"You disrespect the dead . . . your own family. You lie to the face of a child who _deserves_ the truth. Why?" Emmeline got no answer. "Your parents were heroes. Don't let those monsters tell you otherwise."

"I'd be happy to tell you stories about your parents, Harry," Molly called, glancing over at Emmeline gently stroking Harry's hair and wishing that she had gotten to the boy first.

"Don't worry about it, Molly," Emmeline assured her before turning back to Harry. "I'll tell you anything you need to know about your parents. Your mother was one of my best friends."

"I will, too," Remus added. "Your father was one of my best friends. Since I was about your age, actually."

"I'd like that," Harry whispered, resting against Emmeline and smiling at Remus.

Molly crossed her arms but made sure to keep a smile on her face. She needed to get the boy to think of _her_ as a mother figure, not Vance.

**Mr Dursley stopped dead. **

"He's dead?" The twins ran up to Vernon and began to prod the unconscious body, ignoring their mother's scolding and Petunia attempting to screech at them. They got their desired reaction as they heard Harry laugh along with the others.

"It's just an expression," Hermione told them, trying to keep a stern expression but unable to keep her lips from twitching.

"Damn," the twins pouted, causing more chuckling.

"FRED! GEORGE!"

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

"Coward," Bill muttered to Charlie. Charlie laughed and nodded.

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking … no, he was being stupid. **

"At least he admits it," Percy muttered, getting shocked glances from him siblings. He flushed when they began to clap and agree with him.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. **

"It is in the wizarding world," Neville stated.

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew **_**was**_** called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. **

"Harvey Potter," Fred muttered, stroking his chin.

"Harold Potter," George stated, mimicking his twin's actions.

"Doesn't have the same ring to it," they decided.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs Dursley, she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her – if **_**he'd**_** had a sister like that … **

"Rather my mother than Aunt Marge," Harry whispered. Remus made sure to remember the name to talk to Harry about it later.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks …**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon, and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

**'Sorry,' **

"I can't believe he actually knows the word," Arthur stated, true astonishment in his tone.

"Arthur!" Molly stated, annoyed.

"Well, he doesn't seem like a very nice man," he defended himself and motioned for Remus to continue before she began to rant.

**he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr Dursley realised that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passers-by stare: 'Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!'**

"Sounds like Flitwick," Tonks admitted.

"Probably his brother," Remus answered. "I know that Lily was one of Flitwick's favorite students and he was at Hogwarts at the time. He wouldn't be walking around celebrating the loss of one of his favorite students."

Tonks nodded. He made a valid point. She smiled at him, causing Remus to feel a little warm.

**And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

"I highly doubt his arms managed to go all the way around," Harry spoke to himself, not noticing that it came out loud enough for everyone to hear. He flushed slightly when he heard them all laugh, but managed a few chuckles himself.

**Mr Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"WHO DOESN'T APPROVE OF IMAGINATION?!" the twins yelled, truly scandalized.

It caused more laughter, even if they were one hundred percent serious.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw – and it didn't improve his mood – was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

**'Shoo!' said Mr Dursley loudly.**

"That's not going to work," Remus stated, a smirk crossing his face.

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. **

"Oh, we know that look, don't we Forge?"

"That we do, Gred."

At Harry and Hermione's questioning glance, they smiled mysteriously.

"Wait and see," they told them, smiling more when Harry and Hermione pouted.

**Was this normal cat behaviour, Mr Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

"Definitely a coward," Charlie confirmed to Bill, a smirk crossing his face.

**Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learnt a new word ('Shan't!'). **

"Yes, you should be so proud," Tonks told Petunia sarcastically.

Petunia tried to retort but still nothing came out of her lips.

**Mr Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living-room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**'And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern.' The news reader allowed himself a grin. 'Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?'**

**'Well, Ted,' said the weatherman, 'I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early – it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight.'**

**Mr Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters …**

"Oh, great, if that idiot is figuring it out, what about the other Muggles?" Tonks asked.

"To be fair," Amelia responded, "they already knew about magic. Other Muggles won't figure it out because they have no idea that magic exists."

"Got that right," Hermione confirmed, still shocked that magic was real.

**Mrs Dursley came into the living-room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. 'Er – Petunia, dear – you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?'**

**As he had expected, Mrs Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

"Too bad Lily couldn't do the same," Emmeline glared at Petunia. "She never stopped trying to make amends, only to have them thrown in her face because of your resentment."

**'No,' she said sharply. 'Why?'**

**'Funny stuff on the news,' Mr Dursley mumbled. 'Owls … shooting stars … and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today …'**

_**'So?'**_** snapped Mrs Dursley.**

**'Well, I just thought … maybe … it was something to do with … you know … **_**her lot.**_**'**

**Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name 'Potter'. He decided he didn't dare. **

"I suppose we now know who wears the trousers in that relationship," Bill smirked.

**Instead he said, as casually as he could, 'Their son – he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?'**

**'I suppose so,' said Mrs Dursley stiffly.**

**'What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?'**

**'Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me.'**

"Better a common name than something like 'Dudley'," Tonks said as she rolled her eyes.

"Or Nymph—"

"DON'T YOU DARE, CHARLIE!" Tonks interrupted him, her hair red. He began to laugh, a teasing glint in his eyes.

**'Oh, yes,' said Mr Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. 'Yes, I quite agree.'**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it was waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did … if it got out that they were related to a pair of – well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters **_**were**_** involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind … He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on. He yawned and turned over. It couldn't affect **_**them …**_

_"Jinxed it," the twins pipped up._

**How very wrong he was.**

"Wish he wasn't," Harry whispered.

**Mr Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

"How can she stay still for that long?" Tonks wondered.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. **

"Dumbledore sure knows how to dress," Kingsley smirked.

**This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realise that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. **

"Oh, I'm sure he knows," many of the wizards stated together.

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realise he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, 'I should have known.'**

"Known what?" Harry asked, ignoring his aunt's glare for asking questions.

Emmeline simply smiled mysteriously and motioned for the book.

**He had found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. **

"WE WANT ONE!" the twins shouted and they jumped up excitedly.

**He clicked it again – the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, **

"Nice name," Ron snickered.

**until the only lights left in the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**'Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall.'**

"You never told me that you had a cat for a professor," Ginny told her older brothers.

They shrugged their shoulders and smiled lightly. "She likes to surprise the first years in their first transfiguration class."

Harry and Hermione shared a glance, still confused as to why that was what shocked the girl.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

Harry felt his jaw drop. "The cat is a human? She can turn into a cat?"

Emmeline nodded. "Yes, some wizards who are powerful enough learn to become animagus." She leaned in and whispered. "Your parents were animagus, but no one besides their closest friends knew. I'll tell you more later."

Harry nodded, excited to learn more about his parents.

**'How did you know it was me?' she asked.**

**'My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly.'**

**'You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day,' said Professor McGonagall.**

"No one told her to do it," Molly muttered to herself, low enough so no one heard.

**'All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here.'**

"But didn't he apparate?" Ron asked his older brother.

Percy nodded. "Yes, he did. How could he have passed a dozen feasts if he apparated?"

"There is no need to question the headmaster's motives," Molly scolded her children, ignoring the raised eyebrows in her direction.

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**'Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right,' she said impatiently. 'You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no – even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news.' She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. 'I heard it. Flocks of owls … shooting stars … Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent – I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense.'**

"Oh, definitely have to agree with her there," Arthur admitted, laughing at his old friend. "He can get pretty rowdy when he's happy."

**'You can't blame them,' said Dumbledore gently. 'We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years.'**

"It really was a long war," Amelia stated solemly, remembering her lost family.

Others who lost family during the time nodded with her.

**'I know that,' said Professor McGonagall irritably. 'But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours.'**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on: 'A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really **_**has**_** gone, Dumbledore?'**

**'It certainly seems so,' said Dumbledore. 'We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a sherbet lemon?'**

**'A **_**what?**_**'**

**'A sherbet lemon. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of.'**

**'No, thank you,' said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for sherbet lemons. **

"It really isn't," Emmeline muttered. Reading this wasn't going to be easy, she realized.

**'As I say, even if You-Know-Who **_**has**_** gone –'**

**'My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this "You-Know-Who" nonsense – for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: **_**Voldemort.**_**' **

Many of the people in the room flinched, causing Harry to become confused.

"You're scared of a name?" he asked Emmeline.

"No, not the name. It's the person. That . . . wizard caused too much damage to the wizarding world. Hearing his name brings back memories off all of that. All of the destruction that he caused . . . all the mourning. And the kids grew up hearing about what he did. It's normal no fear him in our world. And even if he's been gone for years, everything that he's done won't be forgotten for a very long time."

Harry nodded, leaning into her more as he thought of that man taking his parents.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two sherbet lemons, seemed not to notice. 'It all gets so confusing if we keep saying "You-Know-Who".' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.'**

"Yeah, but we're not all one of the most powerful wizards to be born," Bill said as he rolled his eyes.

**'I know you haven't,' said Professor McGonagall, sounding half-exasperated, half-admiring. 'But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know – oh, all right, **_**Voldemort**_** – was frightened of.'**

**'You flatter me,' said Dumbledore calmly. 'Voldemort had powers I will never have.'**

"Only because he's too noble to use them," Molly said firmly.

**'Only because you're too – well – **_**noble**_** to use them.'**

**'It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs.'**

The twins raised an eyebrow at this, a smile playing at their lips.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, 'The owls are nothing to the **_**rumours**_** that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?'**

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. **

The atmosphere became tense, no one daring to utter a word.

**It was plain that whatever 'everyone' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer.**

**'What they're **_**saying,**_**' she pressed on, 'is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.**

Remus paused before forcing himself to read out the next sentence.

**The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are – are – that they're – **_**dead.**_**'**

Everyone stayed silent respectfully, ignoring the way Vernon finally seemed to be coming around.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**'Lily and James … I can't believe it … I didn't want to believe it … Oh, Albus …'**

"They were some of her favorite students," Emmeline whispered to Harry, dabbing away the tears that were forming in his eyes away.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. 'I know … I know …' he said heavily.**

"Is that all he can really say?" Harry asked Emmeline silently. She simply shrugged her shoulders and held Harry tighter to her.

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. 'That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potters' son, Harry.**

Harry panicked at this, his eyes shooting up to look at Emmeline.

"Me? He tried to kill me?"

Emmeline pressed her hands against his cheeks and looked him in the eye. "You're safe here, Harry. He's been gone for nine years now."

Harry nodded but didn't relax.

**But – he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke – and that's why he's gone.'**

"He couldn't kill me?" Harry whispered to himself in shock.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**'It's – it's **_**true?'**_** faltered Professor McGonagall. 'After all he's done … all the people he's killed … he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding … of all the things to stop him … but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?'**

**'We can only guess,' said Dumbledore. 'We may never know.'**

"I'm more than certain that he knows what happened," Emmeline muttered silently.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. **

"It's a wizard's watch," Emmeline whispered to Harry at his questioning glance.

**It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, 'Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?'**

"Yeah, Hagrid can never keep a secret," Charlie joked, hoping to relieve some tension. The most he got was a few week chuckles.

**'Yes,' said Professor McGonagall. 'And I don't suppose you're going to tell me **_**why**_** you're here, of all places?'**

**'I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now.'**

"So he's the one who put me there?" Harry asked.

"That's what it seems like," Emmeline answered him, crossing her arms.

"He shouldn't have done that," Remus added. "He knew how Lily's sister felt about magic."

"You shouldn't be questioning the headmaster," Molly told them, annoyed. "He obviously had a reason for putting Harry there. Not saying that I like it, but he wouldn't have done it without a reason."

Amelia nodded. "He probably figured that they would put aside their hatred to raise their own family right. Unfortunately, they didn't. And I'm not too sure that he should return to them. No matter the reasons."

Harry looked up at Amelia, hope shining in his eyes. Molly seethed internally but kept a smile on her face as she nodded along with Amelia.

"I'll be more than happy to raise him," Molly said, wishing that Dumbledore was there to talk his way out of this as he usually did.

"Oh, don't worry yourself, Molly," Emmeline told her calmly, lovingly stroking Harry's hair. "I'm sure that Augusta would take him." Molly worked to keep her smile pleasant as she thought of a way to get close to Harry.

Neville looked up in shock. "My gran?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, your mother was Lily's best friend. She named her Harry's Godmother, just as Lily was yours. I know that Lily would've wanted you raised by Alice if anything happened to her. You and Harry should have been raised as brothers."

Harry and Neville smiled at each other.

"But what about my Godfather," Harry asked Emmeline.

She swallowed and looked away from Harry. "That is a long story that it's best not mentioned."

Harry looked at Remus questioningly but he shook his head and continued to read.

**'You don't mean – you **_**can't**_** mean the people who live **_**here?**_**' **

"Unfortunately," Harry whispered, though most heard him. They shot the Dursleys glares, which went unnoticed.

Vernon was finally coming around and Petunia was trying to rouse him faster, even though she was still silenced.

**cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. 'Dumbledore – you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son – I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. **

The younger kids raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief while the adults shook their heads at Petunia. Dudley flushed and glared back.

**Harry Potter come and live here!'**

**'It's the best place for him,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter.'**

"Oh, yes," Hermione said sarcastically. "A letter is definitely the best way to tell someone that their sister is dead and that that they have to raise their kid."

The adults looked angry at this as well, though Molly was just angry at the way the Muggleborn was talking about Dumbledore.

**'A letter?' repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. 'Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? **

"Exactly," Hermione muttered to herself, shaking her head.

**These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend – I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in future – there will be books written about Harry – every child in our world will know his name!'**

Harry's head snapped up in shock. "WHAT?!"

Many people laughed at his reaction but Remus continued to read.

**'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. 'It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?'**

Emmeline shook her head. "He's wrong. It's better to raise him right and not let it get to his head than simply throwing him back into that nearly a decade later."

She honestly couldn't believe that Dumbledore would be foolish enough to believe that he was doing the right thing.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, 'Yes – yes, you're right, of course.**

Tonks groaned. "No, McGonagall, don't give in. Take the little tyke and raise him yourself if you have to."

**But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?' She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

**'Hagrid's bringing him.'**

**'You think it – **_**wise**_** – to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?'**

"Oi," Charlie said, indignantly. "Hagrid is great."

**'I would trust Hagrid with my life,' said Dumbledore.**

"Just not secrets," Charlie added, mollified with how Dumbledore defended his friend.

**'I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place,' said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, 'but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to – what was that?'**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky – and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"A FLYING MOTORBIKE?!" Harry shouted, jumping up in shock.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Emmeline asked, pulling Harry to her to look him in the eye. "Please, don't tell me that you want a flying motorbike."

Harry shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "Not this moment, but maybe in the future." He giggled at her groan. "No, I had a dream about a flying motorbike a few weeks ago. It just kind of shocked me."

He sat back down next to Emmeline and motioned for Remus to continue.

**If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so **_**wild**_** – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

The ones who didn't know Hagrid looked apprehensive about his description.

Charlie smiled at them. "Don't worry. He looks threatening but he's not. He's a great man."

**'Hagrid,' said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. 'At last. And where did you get that motorbike?'**

**'Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,' said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. 'Young Sirius Black lent it me. **

The name caused the room to become tense. Harry looked around before turning back to Emmeline. Her look was worse than the others. It was anger and betrayal like Remus' but there was also loss. He decided that it was best to ask her when they were alone than to do it when everyone else seemed to despise the man.

**I've got him, sir.'**

**'No problems, were there?'**

**'No, sir – house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol.'**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

Harry ran his fingers against the lightning scar on his forehead.

**'Is that where –?' whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**'Yes,' said Dumbledore. 'He'll have that scar for ever.'**

**'Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?'**

**'Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well – give him here, Hagrid – we'd better get this over with.'**

Emmeline scowled at the wording and held Harry closer.

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursleys' house.**

**'Could I – could I say goodbye to him, sir?' asked Hagrid.**

**He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

Harry smiled. "Can I meet this Hagrid?"

Charlie smiled back. "I'm sure you will when you go to Hogwarts. He works there."

Harry nodded, pleased that he would be able to meet this man that seemed to care about him and his family.

**'Shhh!' hissed Professor McGonagall. 'You'll wake the Muggles!'**

"But wouldn't they have woken up with the motorbike?" Ginny asked.

She received a few shrugs in return.

**'S-s-sorry,' sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. 'But I c-c-can't stand it – Lily an' James dead – an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles –'**

**'Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found,' Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two.**

"I can't believe that he just left Harry on the doorstep," Emmeline vented.

The others made sounds of agreement.

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"NOT THE TWINKLE!" the twins sad dramatically, causing even some of the adults to look amused.

**'Well,' said Dumbledore finally, 'that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations.'**

"Oh, yes, go celebrate the death of two amazing people after dumping their only son to magic-hating monsters!" Emmeline growled.

**'Yeah,' said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. 'I'd best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall – Professor Dumbledore, sir.'**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

Harry leaned into Emmeline. "Okay, so maybe I do want one."

She covered her eyes with her hands and let out a sigh. "Really?" Harry nodded innocently. "Maybe when you're older."

Harry looked pleased with the answer while Molly looked downright furious.

"There is no way that he's getting a flying motorbike!"

Emmeline narrowed her eyes in warning. "I don't believe you are his mother. Neither am I for that reason. So if he wants to get a flying motorbike after he comes of age, it is his decision."

Molly harrumphed but Arthur pulled her back before she could give a retort.

**'I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall,' said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**'Good luck, Harry,' he murmured. **

"I will definitely need it," Harry whispered softly to himself. The room was still tense and Harry was thinking of a way to ease it.

**He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. **

"Well, that's surprising," Harry said, trying to break the tension. "I'm usually a light sleeper."

**One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, **

"Well, of course. It's the middle of the night," he continued.

**not knowing he was special, **

"Not really special."

**not knowing he was famous, **

"Don't want to be famous."

**not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, **

"Not the most pleasant way to wake up, I tell you."

**nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley … **

"Yeah, he's not very nice."

"Really, Harry?" Hermione asked in exasperation. "Must you say something after every few words?"

Harry shrugged, giving her an innocent smile causing the others to laugh. Harry definitely acted like James sometimes.

**He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter – the boy who lived!'**

"The boy who lived?" Harry asked. "I don't think I want to be famous for the fact that I lived while my parents died."

Emmeline smiled at him softly. "No, I don't think anyone does."

That's the end of the chapter," Remus stated, placing a bookmark on the correct page and closing it. "Who would like to read next?"

Hermione's hand was up before he had even finished the sentence.

* * *

_**next chapter:** _They read 'The Vanishing Glass'. :D


	3. The Vanishing Glass

**A/N: **I meant to have this up before I went out of town for the long weekend but I have a valid reason for not managing it. Not a good reason, but a valid one. On Thursday I got The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead and I was distracted. I was reading it instead of working on this chapter. If you haven't read it, then you should. Vampire Academy and Bloodlines are amazing series.

This story will be update twice a week. Usually Monday and Friday. It only wasn't update yesterday because I just got back a few hours ago. A new chapter will be out on Friday. :D

**PLEASE VOTE FOR HARRY'S LOVE INTEREST!  
**I'm keeping the poll open for a few more chapters. Thanks. :D

The results are as followed:

**Fred x George:** 7  
**Draco Malfoy:** 3  
**Cedric Diggory:** 2  
**Charlie Weasley:** 1  
**Fred Weasley:** 1  
**George Weasley:** 0

* * *

_Chapter III - The Vanishing Glass,_

* * *

Remus smiled as he hands the book to a beaming Hermione.

"Wait, before we continue," Harry interrupted, turning to his aunt. "Do you still have the letter from Dumbledore?"

Petunia ignored him, staring avidly at the wall. After a few tense moments where she could feel many glares on her, she finally gave a curt nod.

Harry leaned back, a curious smile crossing his face. Now he was determined to find it and see what the note said.

"I still don't understand why he wanted me to go with my aunt," he added absently, thinking of possible places where his aunt could've hidden the note.

"They're you family, dear," Molly told him, giving him a sweet smile. "I'm sure that he believed that it would be best for you to go with them."

Remus shook his head. "No, he knew how Petunia felt about magic when she refused to attend her wedding. It has to be more than that."

"Maybe he placed a charm to keep him safe," Ron wondered.

Tonks shook her head. "No, there isn't any type of charm that I know of that can protect someone like that."

"There is one," Amelia whispered, mostly to herself. When she felt questioning glances on her, she looked up. "It's ancient and very difficult to work, though. It doesn't really have a name to it that comes to mind, but it's a protection charm. When someone sacrifices themselves for another, it creates this binding magic so they are somewhat safe from the threat. They can still get cursed by them, but it won't hold for long. It has nothing to do with blood, though. He would've been safe anywhere with that protection."

"Still doesn't answer the question—"

"—as to why Harry was dumped there."

No one really knew what to say to that, so they remained silent. The silence lasted a few seconds before it was disrupted by a groan. Vernon was finally opening his eyes groggily. Deciding that it was best to start before he began shouting, Hermione began. "Chapter two . . ."

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. **

"Why?" Ginny wondered. "The Burrow changes all the time."

"Cause they're boring," the twins answered her, causing laughter as Petunia and Dudley shot them hateful glares. Vernon still seemed a little disoriented, which just made the others laugh more.

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living-room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bobble hats – **

"A large pink beach ball?" Hermione giggled.

Dudley flushed pink, clenching his fist.

**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, **

This caused more snickering from the younger kids and for Dudley to turn a brighter pink.

Molly shot her kids a reproachful glare, but they paid no mind to it.

**and now the photographs showed a large, blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a roundabout at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

Emmeline rolled her eyes at that, already tired of the Dursleys attitude.

"You seriously are terrible parents," she told them, not bothering to send them a glare.

Petunia turned pink and opened her mouth to shriek at them when she noticed that she was still silenced.

Vernon, who seemed to have gathered his bearings at last turned purple. He attempted to get off the couch and stalk towards them, but he was stilled glued to his seat. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WIFE?"

Remus shot him a hostile glare that silenced him. "She wouldn't stop her screeching, so we silenced her. If you don't silence yourself, we'll do it for you."

Vernon cowered back and stayed silent.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice which made the first noise of the day.**

"I have to agree with Harry," Luna pipped up. "That doesn't sound like a nice way to get up."

Petunia looked offended and mouth something that they took to be _'my voice is not shrill_'.

'**Up! Get up! Now!'**

**Harry woke with a start.**

"I can see what you meant about being a light sleeper," Kingsley told Amelia in a tone that was half-admiring and half-disbelieving. Light sleeping could be good if he ever considered to be an auror but no ten year old should be able to wake up with just rapping at a door and a few words.

**His aunt rapped on the door again.**

'**Up!' she screeched. Harry heard her walking towards the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the cooker. **

"You have a room downstairs?" Arthur wondered. Harry avoided everyone's eyes as he shrugged his shoulders.

"LUCKY!" the twins shouted.

"I honestly would prefer—"

"—to be on a separate floor—"

"that those people!"

Harry forced out a chuckle to match the others in the room and hope that they didn't go into more details about his 'bedroom'.

**He rolled on to his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorbike in it. **

"Not a dream," Harry said, working on keeping his tone light. "I really wish I could go for another ride on it."

Emmeline sighed quietly and Remus clenched his fist. They remembered Harry not being able to fall asleep unless he had taken a ride with Sirius on that flying motorbike. How much influence had Sirius actually managed to imprint on Harry in that first year?

**He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

'**Are you up yet?' she demanded.**

"Give him a second," Ron groaned, thinking of the way his mother always did they same thing.

The other Weasleys nodded and Molly glared at nothing, causing snickering.

'**Nearly,' said Harry.**

'**Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. **

"You made him cook," Emmeline asked the Dursleys in disbelief. "You actually made a ten year old cook?"

Harry grinned. "I love to cook." At Emmeline's questioning glance, Harry went on. "I really _do_ love to cook! One of my favorite things to do while I'm doing chores. And Aunt Petunia can't cook anything, so it's a win-win!"

Emmeline still looked doubtful. "How old where you when you started to cook?"

"I don't know," Harry responded easily with a shrug. "Around six. I used to grab a chair so I could look over the stove," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly when others laugh. "It's one of the things that brings me joy."

Slightly mollified, Emmeline nodded for Hermione to continue.

**And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday.'**

"Oh, what a brilliant petname," Tonks teased. Dudley flushed, really hating that he was agreeing with a freak. His mother's petnames were extremely annoying.

**Harry groaned.**

'**What did you say?' his aunt snapped through the door.**

"He didn't say anything, you hag," Ginny retorted quietly, only Ron hearing her. He erupted into laughter but Ginny kept an innocent expression on her face when the others looked at them questioningly.

'**Nothing, nothing …'**

**Dudley's birthday – how could he have forgotten? **

"Because not many people would want to remember," the twins answered Harry, their tones slow as if talking to a two year old.

Harry rolled his eyes but laughed anyway.

**Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, **

"YOU PULLED A SPIDER OFF OF ONE?" Ron shouted, incredulous. "JUST KILL IT!"

The twins snickered but Bill shot them a reproachful glare, effectively silencing them.

Emmeline shuddered. "I'm with Ron on this one. I HATE spiders."

**put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

Many of the adults clenched their teeth. Amelia took out a piece of parchment and began to jot down everything that the Dursleys did against Harry. She was going to get him taken out of there if it was the last thing she did.

Emmeline began to rise but Harry wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked down at the small boy.

"Just let it go," he told the room, but looked directly at Emmeline. "They aren't worth it."

Reluctantly, everyone let the subject drop. But if the Dursleys honestly thought that they would forget . . .

Amelia wasn't the only one making a list.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had got the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. **

"A racing bike," Hermione whispered to herself, her eyes darting up at Dudley. She decided on continuing to read but her tone still held confusion as to _why_ he wanted a racing bike.

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry,**

"You're not the only one," Hermione murmured to herself again, still confused.

**as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise – unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favourite punch-bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

"Light and speedy," Ron said. "He might make a fair seeker."

"A what?" Harry asked, confused.

Before Ron could go into one of his Quidditch rants, Bill broke in. "When he have lunch, we'll explain all about it. It's out sport."

Harry nodded. He had never really been one to play football, due to the fact that he didn't have many friends and no one chose him to play because of Dudley. Maybe he would be able to play some sports with the magic folks. The thought actually made him happy. He was always a fast runner and he couldn't wait to see if he would be able to be a fair 'seeker'.

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. **

Remus shook his head. "Your dad was really small, too, during his first couple of years. He became pretty tall during the summer after fifth. It's in the Potter genes."

"Potter genes?" Harry asked, his lips twitching.

"Oh, yes," Remus answered, his tone playfully severe. "It's been known as the Potter Curse." He dropped his voice, as if getting ready to tell a scary story. "They are all scrawny, have horrible eye sight, and hair that refuses to be kept neat." He shook his head in mock condolences. "I'm sorry, Harry, but it's not something that can be escaped."

Harry crossed his arms and pouted before giving in and laughing with the others.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's **

"Seriously?" Amelia looked up at the Dursleys. "You couldn't even be bothered to buy him clothes?" The Dursleys remained silent.

**and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright-green eyes. He wore round glasses **

Remus again shook his head and sighed before muttering 'Potter Curse' just loud enough for the others to hear. There was an outbreak of snickering as Harry shot him a halfhearted glare.

**held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. **

"Should punch you in the face," the twins grumbled, not heard by anyone as they were all busy growling at Dudley.

**The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

"Yeah, I don't think I like it anymore," Harry whispered. Honestly, he wanted to get rid of it now that he knew that it was a reminder of the death of his parents.

**He had had it as long as he could remember and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had got it.**

'**In the car crash when your parents died,' she had said. 'And don't ask questions.'**

Hermione read the end of the sentence in a tone so scandalized that it managed to make Harry snort in amusement.

**_Don't ask questions_ – that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

'**Comb your hair!' he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way – all over the place.**

"Please go on, Hermione, before this one interrupts again," Emmeline said as Remus opened his mouth. He grumbled under his breath something that only she heard and she shot him a glare.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large, pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes and thick, blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head.**

Dudley turned a bright red at the description while Petunia looked scandalized that someone would think that of her Dudders.

**Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – **

Petunia nodded. He was a baby angel.

**Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

She stopped mid-nod and shot Harry a hateful glare with her beady eyes. He definitely didn't look like a pig in a wig.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

"What? Not enough presents?" Tonks said as she rolled her eyes.

'**Thirty-six,' he said, looking up at his mother and father. 'That's two less than last year.'**

At this, she looked at him in disbelief. "You're complaining about getting thirty-six presents?"

Dudley ignored her and looked around at the other looks of disbelief being shot of him. So what if his parents spoiled him?

Hermione was thinking about something else. "How do you have enough money to afford all that? Being a director for a firm might be a good job but it definitely wouldn't be enough to buy all that for just one day."

Vernon and Petunia glared at her but didn't answer.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Hermione," Emmeline assured her. "I'll figure it out."

"What does it even matter how we get our money?" Vernon snarled, Petunia nodding along with him.

"Because," Emmeline answered, her eyes narrowed to slits as she watched the muggles, "I'm a curious person. Why are you so worried that we find out how you get the money, Dursley?"

Vernon turned purple but was slightly relieved that they didn't seem to know that the money they got was to care for the freak.

'**Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy.'**

'**All right, thirty-seven then,' said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"Does that happen often?" Arthur asked Harry.

"More often than you'd think," Harry admitted.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger too, because she said quickly, 'And we'll buy you another _two_ presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? _Two_ more presents. Is that all right?'**

"That really is no way to handle that child," Emmeline scoffed at her.

Petunia finally seemed to have gotten her voice back. "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY DUDDY!" she screamed shrilly, causing even her son to wince at the pitch.

"I liked it much better when she was silenced," Bill muttered to Charlie.

"Definitely," he agreed. "Can we do it again?"

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, 'So I'll have thirty … thirty …'**

"It seems that you have a large infestation of Wrackspurts," Luna told Dudley solemly.

" Wrackspurts?" Neville asked her.

"Yes," Luna nodded. "They are invisible creatures that make your brain go fuzzy."

Some people snickered as Dudley turned red.

"And why do you think I have there wack-spots?" Dudley growled at her.

" Wrackspurts," Luna corrected. "And you have to have them. How else can you explain an eleven year old not being able to add two to thirty-seven?"

This caused more laughter, but Luna was dead serious. She took out some large, pink glasses. "I think it might be safer to check."

"I don't have these whats-its!" Dudley growled at her dangerously.

Luna placed the glasses on her face, making her look rather ridiculous and causing some more snickering. "You wouldn't know if you had them," she confided to Dudley. "You can only see them with Spectrespecs."

Hermione thought that it would be best to continue as more people began to laugh.

'**Thirty-nine, sweetums,' said Aunt Petunia.**

'**Oh.' Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. 'All right then.'**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. **

'**Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. Atta boy, Dudley!' He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

"Oh, yes," Tonks told him, still chortling. "Please encourage that beast of a son to throw a tantrum when things don't go his way. I'm sure when he's older girls will be fawning over him."

"You little—" Vernon broke off as Remus shot him a glare.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a cine-camera, a remote-control aeroplane, sixteen new computer games and a video recorder. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch **

Remus raised an eyebrow at the Dursleys. He was definitely going to find out how he managed to get all those things for just one birthday.

**when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone, looking both angry and worried.**

'**Bad news, Vernon,' she said. 'Mrs Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him.' She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"Mrs. Figg?" Amelia questioned. "As in Arabella Figg?"

The Dursleys looked at her, horror easily spotted in their eyes. "You know her?" Petunia squeaked out.

Kingsley nodded. "She's a squib." At some of the questioning looks, he elaborated. "A squib is someone born into a magical family that doesn't have magic."

"So, that batty cat lady is one of your lot?" Dudley asked slowly.

When Amelia nodded, the Dursleys look of horror expanded. They had sent the freak there often and the entire time, that woman could've been telling him anything about his parents.

"Wait a minute," Emmeline turned to Amelia. "There is a squib located close enough for Harry to get taken in and she said nothing about the way that Harry was mistreated?"

Amelia shook her head. "As far as I know, there was no magic person—even a squib—located anywhere near Harry. She's not there on the Ministry's word."

"Maybe she's there on Dumbledore's word," Luna told them.

"Dumbledore's?" many questioned.

"He is the one who put Harry there," she said simply, as if it was the most logical answer.

"But if she's there on Dumbledore's word, then why didn't she tell him of Harry's mistreatment?" Percy wondered.

F0r that, they had no answer. Some became more confused as others were thoughtful, but Molly was uneasy. These people would be was to difficult to manipulate herself away from Dumbledore. Not for the first time did she wish that he was there with them now.

Amelia turned to the Dursleys. "Did she volunteer to care for him or did you ask her?"

"She volunteered," Petunia admitted, very reluctantly.

"So did she not send Dumbledore owls?" Ginny asked.

Again, no one had an answer to that. Molly was very relieved when the muggleborn continued to read.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger bars or the cinema. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"If she knew who I was then why did she have to make my visits so terrible?" Harry moaned quietly.

Remus' lips twitched slightly, but mostly he though of why that was. "I'm pretty sure it has to do with them," he motioned to the Dursleys again.

"I'm sure it does," Emmeline agreed. "If they believed that you enjoyed it there, they never would've sent you back."

Many of the people growled while they thought of some jinxes they were itching to practice on the Dursleys.

'**Now what?' said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. **

"Yes, because everything is Harry's fault," Ron whispered sarcastically to Ginny who rolled her eyes at the Dursleys stupidity.

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr Paws and Tufty again.**

"That isn't very nice, Harry," Molly scolded.

Emmeline, however, laughed. "No, it isn't. But I can't really blame you," she assured Harry. He grinned up at her while Molly inwardly growled.

'**We could phone Marge,' Uncle Vernon suggested.**

"Oh, not her," Harry moaned silently.

'**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy.'**

"The feeling is mutual," he continued.

"Why is that, Harry?" Tonks wondered.

He crossed his arms and scowled. "If she's mentioned in any of those books, you'll understand. I'm not too sure that you'll believe me."

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there – or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

'**What about what's-her-name, your friend – Yvonne?'**

'**On holiday in Majorca,' snapped Aunt Petunia.**

'**You could just leave me here,' Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

"No, Harry—"

"—You know that—"

"You can't have any fun!" the twins said throwing their voices in an attempt to sound like Vernon.

Harry laughed. It was honestly the worst impression of his uncle that he had ever heard.

Vernon didn't seem to enjoy their attempt of humor if his purple face was anything to go by.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

'**And come back and find the house in ruins?' she snarled.**

"He won't blow up the house!" Ginny growled.

"He should," the twins encouraged. Molly shot them a disapproving glare.

'**I won't blow up the house,' said Harry, **

"Awe, Gin-Gin thinks like Harry," the twins teased.

Ginny rolled his eyes. "At least I don't think like you two," she responded, deadpanned.

Scattered laughter broke out at the twins pouting at their sister.

**but they weren't listening.**

'**I suppose we could take him to the zoo,' said Aunt Petunia slowly, '… and leave him in the car …'**

"Oh, yes," Hermione said sarcastically. "Any normal person would break the law just because they don't want their nephew to enjoy himself."

The Dursleys ignored her.

'**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone …'**

"Oh, yes, because the car is what's important," Emmeline hissed at them.

**Dudley began to cry loudly. **

"Aren't you eleven?" Neville asked Dudley.

Dudley flushed a bright red but followed his parent's example and turned away.

**In fact, he wasn't really crying, it had been years since he'd really cried, but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

"I used to do that, too," Tonks told Dudley, her expression astonished. "When I was like four!"

'_Seriously, what's the matter with these people_,' many of the room occupants wondered.

'**Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!' she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

'**I … don't … want … him … t-t-to come!' Dudley yelled between huge pretend sobs. 'He always sp-spoils everything!' He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

"Big bullying git," came a scathing snarl.

"FRED!" Molly shrieked.

"I'm George!" the twin protested.

"GEORGE, THEN!"

"I'm Fred, really," he admitted, with not as much enthusiasm as he would've is he was angry.

"And I would've said it, too, if he hadn't me to it," George added, scowling with his brother.

"You should watch your mouth before I wash it out with soap!" Molly continued to scold angrily.

"Doesn't stop him being a great bullying git."

"BILL!"

Hermione thought it would be safer to continue reading.

**Just then, the doorbell rang – 'Oh, Good Lord, they're here!' said Aunt Petunia frantically – and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

"Oh, great," Neville scowled. "There are more of you?"

Dudley clenched his fist angrily but continued to stare at the wall.

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

'**I'm warning you,' he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, 'I'm warning you now, boy – any funny business, anything at all – and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas.'**

"That's an empty threat, right?" Emmeline whispered to Harry.

Harry refused to make eye contact while he shrugged his shoulders.

'**I'm not going to do anything,' said Harry, 'honestly …'**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

"Accidental magic," Tonks exclaimed. She loved to hear stories of accidental magic.

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barber's looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his fringe, which she left 'to hide that horrible scar'. Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, **

Dudley began snickering, remembering that. He ignored the scowl that Emmeline shot him while she ran her fingers through Harry's hair.

**who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and Sellotaped glasses. Next morning, however, he had got up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he _couldn't_ explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

"Potter curse," Remus couldn't help but mutter again.

Emmeline growled. "I warned you." Quick as lightning, her wand was out. "Rictusempra!"

Remus began to howl with laughter, clutching his sides as he tried to beg Emmeline to stop.

"Do you promise to stop mentioning the Potter Curse?" Emmeline threatened, not managing to stop her lips from twitching in amusement. "James was always going on about the Potter Curse and Lily used to jinx him every time until he learned to not mention it. Will you stop?"

"Y-y-yes! I-I'll s-s-s-stop!" Remus managed to gasp out. When Emmeline lifted the jinx, he remained lying on the ground panting as the others laughed. He definitely remembered getting the warnings about the Potter Curse. The most vivid involving Sirius Black, a newborn Harry, and an exhausted Lily.

A smile crossed Remus' face and he thought back to merciless Lily putting Black under the jinx for nearly five minutes when he had to;d the worst thing he could've said to a woman who just delivered a baby: '_Damn, looks like he got hit with the Potter Curse, too. You can barely handle James' rat nest of a head, how are you going to handle this little tyke? Bad luck, Lils._'

He glanced up at Harry and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. With his eyes screwed shut, laughing so hard that tears were running down his cheeks, he looked _exactly_ like James after a successful prank.

He shifted his eyes to Emmeline and realized that she was seeing the same thing. She offered him a comforting smile before helping him off of the floor.

When Hermione managed to catch her breath, she continued.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old jumper of Dudley's (brown with orange bobbles). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a glove puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. **

"I don't blame you for not wanting to wear that," Ginny told Harry, a cheeky grin on her face.

Harry nodded, a large smile crossing his face.

**Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

**On the other hand, he'd got into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. **

"You apparated?" Percy asked, awe in his voice. Harry shrugged his shoulders, having no idea what that was. "It's what Dumbledore did in the first chapter. The 'appearing out of thin air' thing."

Again, Harry shrugged. He still didn't know what had happened.

"She could've flown," Emmeline told them. "I remember Lily telling me that she did that when she was younger."

Harry smiled at the fact that he was learning more about his parents.

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big bins outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

The twins shook their heads mournfully. "We definitely need to work on your excuses," Fred told him solemnly, his twin nodding seriously beside him.

"You will definitely not be teaching him how to lie!" Molly scolded them.

"Yes, Mum," the told her, lowering their heads as if properly abashed. They shot Harry a wink when Molly turned her back.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard or Mrs Figg's cabbage-smelling living-room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. **

"One gets the feeling that he doesn't think much of Harry," Tonks said sarcastically.

**This morning, it was motorbikes.**

' … **roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums,' he said, as a motorbike overtook them.**

'**I had a dream about a motorbike,' said Harry, remembering suddenly. 'It was flying.'**

There was a collective groan that caused Harry to flush a bright pink.

"I was excited," he defended himself weakly, pressing his face to Emmeline's side. She held him close, attempting to hold back her own snickers.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache, 'MOTORBIKES DON'T FLY!'**

"Yes, they do," Fred told him as if he was stupid.

Vernon growled dangerously but Fred ignore it.

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

'**I know they don't,' said Harry. **

"Yes, the do," George mimicked him twin.

"How many times will we have to go over this?" The twins threw their hands up in exasperation.

'**It was only a dream.'**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon – they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

Fred and George exchanged mischievous grins before taking out their own piece of parchment to jot down ideas for pranks.

Molly eyed them suspiciously but decided to get rid of the parchment when they left it alone instead of making a scene.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly. **

"Those were your mother's favorite," Emmeline told Harry. He shot her a beaming smile in return.

**It wasn't bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunch-time, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory wasn't big enough, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

"More like I got to finish the little bit of cream that Dudley left at the bottom," Harry muttered.

"YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL WE EVEN GAVE YOU THAT, FREAK!" Vernon shouted, his face turning an alarming shade of blue as he panted in anger.

"Can you please stop with the 'freak' talk," Kingsley asked him with a steely glint in his eyes. "We already established that Harry was more human that you three monsters put together."

Vernon opened his mouth to answer him but shut him mouth firmly when Remus shot him another hostile look.

**Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in here, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a dustbin – but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

'**Make it move,' he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

'**Do it again,' Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"It completely shocks me the way that you let your eleven year old order you around," Amelia told Vernon, astonishment easily detected in her gaze.

"The way that my family operates is none of your business," he growled in response.

Tonks snorted. "Yes, because letting your son keep you on a leash is the best way to handle him."

Petunia pursed her lips angrily. "Your opinion isn't wanted, you—"

"Let me guess," Tonks interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Freak? Maybe you should get some new insult."

Petunia turned a slight pink and chewed on her tongue to keep from giving the pink-haired witch a scathing retort.

'**This is boring,' Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself – no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up – at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. **

_**It winked.**_

Hermione stopped there and glanced up at Harry. "Snakes don't have eyelids."

"It's what I saw," Harry told her simply with a shrug of his shoulders.

Hermione stared at him for a moment longer before continuing.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"Of course you did, Harry," Remus teased.

Harry turned a slight pink and gave him a sheepish smile. Remus smiled fondly at him.

**The snake jerked its head towards Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: '_I get that all the time._'**

Remus' smile dimmed a little.

'**I know,' Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. 'It must be really annoying.'**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

Now a feeling of dread settled in his stomach.

'**Where do you come from, anyway?' Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

_**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**_

'**Was it nice there?'**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: _This specimen was bred in the zoo._ 'Oh, I see – so you've never been to Brazil?'**

Hermione decided to pause there, seeing the looks Harry was being sent.

Harry himself shifted a little uncomfortably. Emmeline managed to control her expression and rub Harry's back soothingly.

"You can talk to snakes?" Ron managed to choke out.

Harry shrugged, eyes darting around the room to everyone's expressions. "Is that bad?"

Remus shook his head. "No, not all all."

Harry frowned in confusion as the others looked away.

Vernon sneered at Harry. "You're even a freak amongst the freaks."

That snapped the wizards out of their stupor. "He isn't a freak for his ability to speak to snakes. Parseltongue is a well known ability," Amelia argued.

"It might not be very common, but it is definitely heard of," Kingsley agreed.

They refused to admit to them that it was considered a dark art.

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. 'DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T _BELIEVE_ WHAT IT'S DOING!'**

**Dudley came waddling towards them as fast as he could.**

'**Out of the way, you,' he said, punching Harry in the ribs. **

The younger wizards growled at Dudley. He sneered in return.

**Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened – one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. **

"That is really amazing accidental magic," Tonks said, her slightly astonished expression clearing up.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out on to the floor – people throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, 'Brazil, here I come … Thanksss, amigo.'**

"Polite snake," Luna commented.

"That's a first," the twins muttered, causing their siblings to chuckle.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

'**But the glass,' he kept saying, 'where did the glass go?'**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong sweet tea while he apologised over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. **

"Dramatic," Ron muttered, rolling his eyes.

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, 'Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?'**

"If I meet this kid, he won't be able to sit from all the curses I give him," Charlie growled.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, 'Go – cupboard – stay – no meals,' before he collapsed into a chair and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

"So, he engorges one kid and starves the other," Emmeline shook her head in exasperation.

When Petunia opened her mouth to retort, Remus spoke up. "Not to mention that he's drinking while starving Harry."

Kingsley nodded. "That is definitely no place for Harry to be brought up."

"I agree," Amelia spoke up. "I definitely refuse to send him back there."

Harry beamed. His chances of finally getting out of the Dursleys home were looking up.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

Vernon shot Harry a loathing glare. "YOU STOLE OUR FOOD?!" he shouted angrily at his nephew.

With Emmeline holding him to her side, he felt braver. "I was being staved. I had to eat something."

"You ungrateful freak!" Petunia shrieked. "How dare y—"

She was cut off by Emmeline.

SMACK!

"Don't you dare, you horrid woman!" Emmeline snarled at her.

Petunia was gaping, holding her cheek. Vernon made to hit Emmeline in return before a wand was pressed between his eyes.

"You better not even be considering hitting a woman," Remus snarled, his eyes flashing more dangerously than before.

Vernon flinched back and wrapped his arm around his wife.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, **

Remus sighed, thinking of how he had failed his best friend.

**as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. **

"You can remember that?" Arthur asked Harry. Harry nodded.

Many of the older wizards sighed in sympathy. No one Harry's age should remember being hit by the killing curse.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

"Do you know how your parents look like?" Emmeline asked.

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"I'll show you pictures," Emmeline and Remus assured Harry, feeling a little better when Harry beamed at them.

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; **

Emmeline and Remus sighed. They definitely failed Lily and James. Now they were determined to change that.

**the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

Arthur shook his head in exasperation. "They just made Harry think he was seeing things."

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"Bully," Ron scoffed.

"That's the end of the chapter," Hermione said, marking the page and closing the book.

Harry smiled. "That's the last major event that happened. It was three weeks ago."

"So the rest is the future," Emmeline smiled with him. This had everyone excited. How will the future play out?

Luna took the book from Hermione. "I'll continue."

* * *

_**next chapter:** _They read 'The Letters From No One'.


	4. The Letters From No One

**A/N: **No excuse for the long wait, so I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I just got distracted with tumblr, reading, roleplaying, and writing other fanfics. Working on a Revenge one-shot and a Merlin multi-chap so look out for those if you follow the fandoms. :D

**QUESTION:** Does anyone know where I can get the chapters? It's taking me a while having to type them out and I don't want to copy and paste from other stories because some change the writing around to fit their story. If you have suggestions, please let me know. That will help me have these chapters out faster.

**PLEASE VOTE FOR HARRY'S LOVE INTEREST!  
**I'm keeping the poll open for a few more chapters.  
Yes, I'm accepting votes in reviews as well. :D

The results are as followed:

**Fred x George:** 12  
**Draco Malfoy:** 5  
**Cedric Diggory:** 2  
**Charlie Weasley:** 2  
**Fred Weasley:** 1  
**George Weasley:** 0

* * *

_Chapter IV: The Letters From No One,_

* * *

Luna opened the book to the correct page and began. "Chapter three . . ."

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. **

"How long, Harry?" Emmeline asked him. "And please tell me the truth."

Harry still looked reluctant, but whispered so softly that the others had to strain to hear him. "Three weeks. I was still 'grounded' when we came here."

Emmeline whirled on Petunia. "If you and Vernon had died and the only person to take care of your child was your sister, Lily, would you want her to treat him the way you're treating Harry?"

Vernon sneered but Petunia screwed her face up and pursed her lips, even as she refused to meet Emmeline's gaze. Neither decided to respond.

**By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new cine-camera, crashed his remote-control aeroplane and, first time on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

Petunia and Vernon sneered but stayed silent. Now that they knew that woman was part of those freaks, they didn't feel slightly remorseful.

Tonks raised an eyebrow at Dudley. "It's like you break everything you touch."

Dudley turned pink but didn't argue. He loved breaking his things more than actually using them because he could blame the freak for breaking them. His father never thought twice about punishing Harry and he would simply buy Dudley something new to 'make up for it'.

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon were all big and stupid, **

"There are more than just those two," Charlie asked, thinking about to Piers.

Bill shook his head. "No, I'm more surprised that he has more than one friend."

"But," Tonks chimed in, "The book did say that they were all big and stupid like Dudley."

**but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. **

"That isn't very smart," the twins said together, shaking their heads.

"You're attempting to be smart?" Ginny asked in mock astonishment.

"Not attempting, little sister," George argued.

"We are extremely smart," Fred agreed.

"How do you think we've been able to get away with everything that we've done?" they both asked her.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favourite sport: Harry-hunting.**

The twins shot Harry a mischievous smirk causing him to turn a slight pink. He definitely needed to watch his back with those two.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had a place at Uncle Vernon's old school, Smeltings. **

"What kind of name is Smeltings?" Percy asked pompously.

Charlie turned to his brother and raised an eyebrow. "We got to a school named Hogwarts. I wouldn't really talk."

The wizards laughed but couldn't really argue that point.

**Piers Polkiss was going there, too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to **

"HOGWARTS!" shouted the younger wizards.

Vernon growled. There was no way that he was going to let the freak go whats-its and learn more freakish things. He will be going to Stonewall and he will be grateful!

**Stonewall High, **

"No, Harry, you're going to Hogwarts!" the twins reminded him. Harry shook his head at them, a smile tugging at his lips.

**the local comprehensive. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

"What's funny about it?" Luna interrupted herself looking at the boy in question. She always did love a good laugh.

Dudley ignored her, turning a brighter pink as he held back his retort because of the two sitting on either side of the blonde were glaring at him.

When it was quiet for a moment, Luna decided to continue.

'**They stuff people's heads down the toilet first day at Stonewall,' he told Harry. 'Want to come upstairs and practise?'**

"You want him to practice by putting your head down the toilet?" Ron asked him.

Dudley sneered at him. "No, you idiot. I—"

But Hermione interrupted him as she saw Ron's ears turning red. "Oh, that's rich coming from someone who can't add two to thirty-seven."

Again people laughed at Dudley but Ron looked at Hermione with a small smile. She smiled back, a light pink spreading on her cheeks.

'**No thanks,' said Harry. 'The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it – it might be sick.' **

"Good one, Harry," Bill shouted across to Harry. A smile grazed Harry's face and that was too much for Petunia.

"You're congratulating the freak for being a bully!" she screeched to room.

"That's a major case of calling the kettle black," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.

Remus nodded his head. "Your bully of a son—because you can't deny that he's a bully, as you and your husband are, as well—has been tormenting Harry for ten years. You really think that he was just going to take it forever? He was eventually going to start giving back."

"THEN WE WOULD'VE KNOCKED SOME SENSE INTO HIM!" Vernon shouted. Harry cringed slightly but made no other movement to show that those words affected him.

"Oh, yes, because that's not worse than simple taunting. You lot are abusive and don't think that I'm not writing down everything that you've said," Amelia told him.

Vernon sneered at her. "And what do you do, eh? Sit around on your—"

"I happen to be the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I could easily bring you into my court room and charge you with abuse. Then we'll see what happens to your bully of a son."

Vernon made to shout again, but Tonks and Kingsley raised their wands at them. "And we're what you call magical police officers," Tonks told them, turning her hair brown to look more serious.

"We have no qualms about taking you in," Kingsley agreed. Vernon sat back, glowering at all three of them.

**Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

"Don't blame me for running," Harry told the twins as they opened their mouths to comment. "He's a lot bigger than I am."

"We were actually going to say—"

"—that you probably didn't need to run."

"He probably wouldn't have worked it out for a while," they responded, smirking slightly at Dudley.

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs Figg's. Mrs Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

Remus gasped dramatically. "Who could let cake sit for several years?!"

"You and your chocolate addiction," Emmeline said with a shake of her head.

"It's not an addiction," Remus denied, crossing his arms and pouting like a child. "I just happen to like it... a lot."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow and Remus looked away causing the others to snicker.

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living-room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters. **

"Oh, lovely uniform," Charlie stated, his lips twitching.

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

"How is that good training for life?" Percy asked.

Tonks took her wand out. "I have a stick that I use to hit others with jinxes when my mentors aren't looking. And it's definitely good training."

Percy stammered out a few incoherent words, his neck turning red as the others laughed and Kingsley raised an eyebrow at a sheepish Tonks.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. **

"Oh, yes, you should be so proud," Bill said with a roll of his eyes.

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. **

Petunia got a smile on her face as she imagined what he would look like. She couldn't wait to see him look so grown-up.

**Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

Dudley turned red and glared at Harry. "You think it's funny, do you?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, yes."

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. **

"I see what you meant by your aunt to being able to cook," Ron told Harry, who laughed as he nodded his head.

**It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.**

'**What's this?' he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.**

'**Your new school uniform,' she said.**

Emmeline let out a growl. "You can't even buy him his own school uniform?"

Petunia scrunched up her face. "What's the point if I could just dye some of the one he already owns?"

She received many eye rolls but no fighting. Harry wouldn't even be using that for his uniform since he was going to Hogwarts anyway.

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

'**Oh,' he said. 'I didn't realise it had to be so wet.'**

"Nice sarcasm," Tonks told him with a smirk.

'**Don't be stupid,' snapped Aunt Petunia. **

"How's he being stupid?" Neville asked his aunt, genuinely curious.

Harry answered for her. "I'm not. She just doesn't understand sarcasm."

Vernon growled. Oh, when he got the freak alone... he was going to pay for everything he was saying. He was confident now with the other freaks to defend him, but he would wait until he was alone.

'**I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished.'**

"I seriously doubt that," Emmeline whispered to Harry.

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High – like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

"Do you compare everything to animals?" Ginny asked Harry with a grin.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders.

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

Hermione turned a light green. "Everywhere?" she squeaked out. When Dudley shrugged in response she made a note to steer-clear of that stick.

**They heard the click of the letter-box and flop of letters on the doormat.**

'**Get the post, Dudley,' said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

"He's actually telling his some to do something?" Ginny asked.

'**Make Harry get it.'**

'**Get the post, Harry.'**

"Ah, now everything's back to normal," Ron told Ginny.

'**Make Dudley get it.'**

'**Poke him with your Smeltings stick, Dudley.'**

"Oh, please dodge it, Harry," Hermione moaned. "You don't know where it's been."

**Harry dodged the Smeltings stick and went to get the post. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was holidaying on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill and – _a letter for Harry._**

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. **

Emmeline and Remus looked down.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Emmeline whispered to him. "I tried writing to you a few years ago, but every letter came back unopened."

Remus nodded. "Same for me. We asked Dumbledore about it and he told me that you were protected from anything reaching you. Just in case."

"It's fine," Harry assured them. "You can start making it up to me now." He flashed them a cheeky smile, causing them to groan halfheartedly. They were _definitely_ going to be making it up to him.

**Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives – he didn't belong to the library so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

_**Mr H. Potter  
The Cupboard under the Stairs  
4 Privet Drive  
Little Whinging  
Surrey**_

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean that you knew that I was in the cupboard?" he asked the adults.

"No," Amelia told him with a shake of her head. "It's a self-addressing quill. We should definitely have someone check those before they get sent out."

The adults nodded in approval.

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, **

"Gryffindor," Emmeline told Harry. At the confused look, she elaborated. "Hogwarts is split into four houses and each animal represents each house. The lion is for Gryffindor."

Harry nodded.

**an eagle, **

"That's Ravenclaw."

**a badger **

"Hufflepuff."

**and a snake**

"And that's Slytherin."

The twins let out hisses but they were ignored.

**surrounding a large letter 'H'.**

'**Hurry up, boy!' shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. 'What are you doing, checking for letter-bombs?' He chuckled at his own joke.**

"Hilarious joke, mate," Fred told Vernon deadpanned.

"Can't you hear us laughing uncontrollably?" George added in the same tone.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

"Oh, you should've hidden it and read it later," Neville told Harry.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, internally scolding himself for not thinking of that himself.

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust and flipped over the postcard.**

'**Marge's ill,' he informed Aunt Petunia. 'Ate a funny whelk …'**

'**Dad!' said Dudley suddenly. 'Dad, Harry's got something!'**

"Snitch," Charlie said with a cough, ignoring his mother's glare.

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"That's mine," Harry grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.

'**That's _mine!_' said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

'**Who'd be writing to you?' sneered Uncle Vernon, **

"I would," Ron said.

"Me, too," Luna agreed.

Vernon sneered when the others agreed. Of course this lot would want to know the freak.

**shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge.**

'**P-P-Petunia!' he gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. **

Dudley looked confused at his father's actions.

**Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

'**Vernon! Oh my goodness – Vernon!'**

"Dramatics seem to run in the family," Arthur murmured, looking away from Molly when she turned to glare at him.

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick.**

Petunia and Vernon ignored the raised eyebrows in their direction. Who cares if they catered to their son? He meant everything to them.

'**I want to read that letter,' he said loudly.**

'**_I_ want to read it,' said Harry furiously, 'as it's _mine._'**

'**Get out, both of you,' croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

'**I WANT MY LETTER!' he shouted.**

"Oh, you seem to have your mother's temper," Remus told Harry as Emmeline laughed. They both had witnessed Lily's temper.

'**Let _me_ see it!' demanded Dudley.**

'**OUT!' roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall,**

Dudley's eyes widened before swiveling around to stare as his parents in astonishment.

**slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; **

"GO HARRY!" the younger ones cheered.

**Dudley won, **

"Aw," the ones cheering moaned.

Harry smiled at them in amusement. "I wasn't going to win. He's a lot bigger than me."

They grudgingly agreed causing Harry to laugh.

**so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

"That's a better spot anyway," Ginny told Harry with a grin.

'**Vernon,' Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, 'look at the address – how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?'**

'**Watching – spying – might be following us,' muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

"No," Amelia told them. "But someone should."

Vernon and Petunia shared a nervous glance. They definitely didn't want some freaks watching their home.

'**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want –'**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen. **

'**No,' he said finally. 'No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer … yes, that's best … we won't do anything …'**

"You should definitely do that," Bill said with a smirk.

'**But –'**

'**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?'**

"That is extremely dangerous," Arthur told the Dursleys solemnly. "It could make his magic uncontrollable and cause him to have random bursts of magic that could be dangerous for anyone around him."

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

'**Where's my letter?' said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. 'Who's writing to me?'**

"Don't demand something of your uncle like that, Harry," Molly scolded.

Seeing the disbelieving looks being shot as his mother, Bill intervened. "I'm more taken by the fact that he fit in the cupboard."

Molly was seething inwardly. Why did Bill think he could interrupt? That was her opportunity to show Harry that Emmeline wasn't a proper mother. She had no doubt that the other woman would've wanted to appear the 'cool' adult and let his lack of manners slide. What type of grown woman let's a child demand something like that of an adult?

'**No one. It was addressed to you by mistake,' said Uncle Vernon shortly. 'I have burned it.'**

"YOU BURNED HIS HOGWARTS LETTER?!" was shouted by most of the wizards in the room.

"That was his first Hogwarts letter," Emmeline snarled at them. "Most adults frame their child's first Hogwarts letter."

Vernon sneered. Getting accepted into a school of freaks was _not_ something to be proud of. Dudley on the other other hand was slightly jealous. Piers had just gotten him addicted to these comics called X-Men and it was as if that letter was Harry's own acceptance letters to a school of mutants.*

'**It was _not_ a mistake,' said Harry angrily. 'It had my cupboard on it.'**

'**SILENCE!' yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

"I can imagine that it is," Harry mumbled. Emmeline shot him a look and he could easily see the amusement in her eyes.

'**Er – yes, Harry – about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking … you're really getting a bit big for it … **

"Of course he's big for it," Remus told them. "It's a cupboard."

He was ignored by the Dursleys.

**we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.'**

"Wait a minute," Arthur said in a disbelieving tone. "You throw a small boy in a cupboard while you let another have a second bedroom?"

Vernon growled. Of course they had to give the freak his own room now that they knew where he was being kept. He understood why he had to give him the damn room but he hated it.

Dudley blanched. No, they couldn't take away his spare room! He _needed_ that room. He shot his cousin a glare. Why did he always have to ruin everything?

**Why?' said Harry.**

"Why are you questioning it?" Percy asked him in a pompous tone.

Harry shrugged. "He's never been nice. Why would he suddenly give me a room? I'm being cautious."

'**Don't ask questions!' snapped his uncle. 'Take this stuff upstairs, now.'**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. **

Emmeline and Remus shared a look. Remus might not have a lot but he was determined to used what little he had to make sure that Harry had a better childhood.

**He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old cine-camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over next door's dog; **

Luna's eyes widened in horror as she read that part. _'Poor dog,'_ she thought.

**in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite programme had been cancelled; **

Tonks blinked in shock. Someone could put their foot through a television?

**there was a large bird-cage which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air-rifle, **

Charlie felt relieved. At least the bird was out of Dudley's care.

**which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. **

Hermione gaped at Dudley. "You sat on an air-rifle and bent it?"

Dudley turned red as he shot her a glare. Vernon and Petunia also shot Hermione loathing glares.

"My Duddy is perfect! He just has big bones!" Petunia shrieked at her.

Most of the adults shook their heads at that family's atrocious behavior.

**Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

"Can he even read?" Charlie whispered to Bill. He got a snort and a shrug in return.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother: 'I don't _want_ him in there … I _need_ that room … make him get out …'**

"Someone who was being forced to sleep in a _cupboard_ needs it more," Remus snarled, his eyes flashing.

Dudley gulped and grabbed his father's arm in fear.

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof and he still didn't have his room back. **

As the sentence continued, more and more looks were being shot at the Dursleys. Petunia herself felt slightly apprehensive before shaking it off. She was sure that the book was just exaggerating. Her Dudders wouldn't hurt a fly!

Vernon, however, was pleased. His son was fighting for what was his! He wasn't going to apologize for raising his son to not take no for an answer.

**Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

**When the post arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. **

Dudley growled. First, his room is taken away and now he was the one forced to go get the mail? What was next? Him getting punished and having to do the chores instead of the freak?

**They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, 'There's another one! _Mr H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive_ –'**

"You wanted to read it. Why are you shouting about it?" Tonks asked him in an incredulous voice.

Harry answered for him. "I think he just wants it because it's mine."

Dudley didn't even bother denying it. It was basically the truth.

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. **

"HARRY! HARRY! HARRY!" the twins chanted.

Harry smiled at them in amusement. "If I could barely take Dudley what makes you think that I could take them both?"

The twins shrugged and continued to chant until their mother shot them a glare.

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smeltings stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.**

'**Go to your cupboard – I mean, your bedroom,' he wheezed at Harry. 'Dudley – go – just go.'**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

"Oh, no," Remus moaned.

Harry looked slightly offended. "What do you mean 'oh, no'?"

"If your plans are anything like your father's, then something will end up going wrong," Remus explained.

The others in the room laughed as Harry pouted.

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. **

"You repaired an alarm clock?" Hermione asked him, shocked.

Harry shrugged. "It's in the future, so I really don't know."

**Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. **

"That sounds like a good plan," Emmeline said with a smile.

Remus shrugged. "So where will it go wrong?" he asked Harry teasingly.

Harry continued to pout and crossed his arms across his chest.

**His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall towards the front door –**

'**AAAAARRRGH!'**

**Harry leapt into the air – he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat – something alive!**

"Please be the uncle," the twins muttered low enough their mother wouldn't hear them.

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realised that the big squashy something had been his uncle's face. **

Some of the people in the rooms snickered, including the twins who were doing a silent victory cheer. Harry, on the other hand, had paled and his eyes widened in slight horror. He looked at his uncle and flinched back at the anger on his face.

Before Vernon could say anything, though, Emmeline had her wand out and was shielding Harry. "Don't even think about it, Dursley."

"THAT FREAK STEPPED ON ME AND YOU'RE DEFENDING HIM?" Vernon shouted at her.

"It hasn't happened so you have no reason to be angry," Emmeline told him firmly. "And I will _always_ defend him against abusive people like you."

Harry relaxed slightly and clenched his fist in her shirt. He knew that his Uncle Vernon wouldn't forget what happened in the book but he felt better knowing that Emmeline wouldn't let anything happen to him. He made a mental note to stay near her or Remus until his uncle was gone.

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen, and by the time he got back, the post had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

'**I want –' he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.**

The wizards in the group growled at him.

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the letter-box.**

'**See,' he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, 'if they can't _deliver_ them they'll just give up.'**

Remus snorted. "If you think that we'll give up on one of our own, then you're stupider than you look," he told Vernon scathingly. He wouldn't forget the look he had shot Harry and was fighting the urge to curse him into oblivion for even _thinking _about doing anything bad against Harry.

'**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon.'**

'**Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me,' **

"Thank goodness for that," Bill growled.

**said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruit cake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.**

"Definitely glad to not be like them," Charlie agreed with his brother.

**On Friday, no fewer than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the letter-box they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs toilet.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed 'Tiptoe through the Tulips' as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

That seemed to relieve the tension that had been plaguing the room. Slowly, the youngsters started to snicker and even some of the adults had to try to reign in their laughter.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living-room window. **

"Got to admit that they're getting creative," Arthur said, his voice a bit strained with the laughter he was attempting to keep in.

Amelia shook her head in exasperation. "If he opened a letter, they would stop coming. You really aren't helping anyone by keeping them from him."

**While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food mixer.**

'**Who on earth wants to talk to _you_ this badly?' Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

Many of the wizards in the room raised their hands.

"It's a common thing to send Harry Potter fan-mail," Amelia told Harry. She smiled in amusement at his groan.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

'**No post on Sundays,' **

"No post on Sundays?" Arthur asked.

"It's the day off for postmen," Hermione told him with a smile.

Tonks shook her head. "This isn't ordinary mail," he told the Dursley's with a laugh.

**he reminded them happily as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, 'no damn letters today –'**

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. **

All three Dursleys gaped. Maybe the should've just let the freak take the first one.

"But thank Merlin that there's no post on Sundays," the twins stated before bursting into laughter at the looks on their faces.

**The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one – **

"Just pick one off of the floor," Emmeline told Harry, giggling merrily at the pink spreading across Harry's cheeks.

'**Out! OUT!' **

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. **

The mirth in the room diminished. "If you hurt him again, Dursley," Remus growled out dangerously, letting the threat trail off.

Vernon gulped, imagining what that man would do to him if he hurt the freak again.

**When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

'**That does it,' said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time. **

"Sounds painful," Bill said with a smirk.

'**I want you all back here in five minutes, ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!'**

"Do you honestly think that you can outrun us?" Kingsley asked him incredulously.

**He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding towards the motorway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, video and computer in his sports bag.**

Petunia gasped, a hand flying to her mouth as she stared at her husband. Dudley, too, looked shocked that his father would ever lay a hand on him. That wasn't how things went on in their house. They took their anger out on the freak and they _never_ hit Dudley.

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. **

Petunia shuddered. If she had seen him hit Dudley she knew that her husband wasn't in the right state of mind. She wasn't stupid enough to provoke him further.

**Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turning and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

'**Shake 'em off … shake 'em off,' he would mutter whenever he did this.**

Someone snorted in amusement, but Vernon couldn't pinpoint where it came from.

"Someone's off their rocker," Ron whispered to the twins.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programmes he'd wanted to see and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

Dudley moaned pathetically. Not eating all day? Missed five programmes? What was his father playing at? _'Just give the freak his damn letter,'_ he wanted to shout at his father._ 'Why make others suffer just because of a damn letter?'_

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the window-sill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering … **

"Wondering what, Harry?" Luna interrupted herself.

Harry shrugged. "Where the letter writer was at... If the letters would follow us... If they would give up because we weren't at Privet Drive... Why my uncle was so determined to not give me the letter... Those are the things I'm wondering right now."

"At Hogwarts."

"Most likely."

"Definitely not."

"Because he's a git."

"Anymore questions?"

"FRED! GEORGE!"

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast next day. **

"That isn't breakfast!" all the Weasleys' protested.

Dudley swallowed harshly. That was what he was about to say and he didn't want anything in common with those freaks.

**They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

' '**Scuse me, but is one of you Mr H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk.'**

"A hundred?" Emmeline asked astonished.

Remus shook his head. "The should've sent someone a while back."

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

_**Mr H. Potter  
Room 17  
Railview Hotel  
Cokeworth**_

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

"Can't really blame her," Remus said with a scowl. At the looks he was being sent, he raised his hands. "The lady doesn't know who they are. To her it just seems like a ten year old trying to take his guardian's mail."

The others grudgingly agreed and sent Vernon glares.

'**I'll take them,' said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining-room.**

'**Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?' Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, **

Petunia didn't nod, but she definitely agreed with herself. That lady had to give Vernon a hundred letters in parchment! And she had to have seen Vernon dispose of them as well! What was Vernon thinking?

**hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across a suspension bridge and at the top of a multi-storey car park.**

'**Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?' Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car and disappeared.**

Dudley looked at his father warily. His father had definitely gone mad.

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley snivelled.**

'**It's Monday,' he told his mother. 'The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a _television._'**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it _was_ Monday – and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television – then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. **

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" the twins shouted.

Harry grinned. "It's not my birthday yet." He got a shrug in return before they began to sing.

"Fred! George! That is enough!" Molly shouted at them.

They rolled their eyes when her back was turned. As much as they all loved their mother, they couldn't wait until they could he on their own.

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun – last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat-hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. **

Emmeline didn't even bother to glare. She simply rubbed her eyes and exhaled roughly. "You couldn't even be halfway decent on his birthday." It wasn't a question. She knew what the answer was and she hated it.

Turning to Harry, she ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not going to ask you if there's anything you want for your birthday. When you turn eleven, I'm taking you to Diagon Alley and buying you everything that you want. Money isn't a problem and I have ten years to make up for."

Harry flushed. "You don't have to get me anything," he assured her. "You're already doing enough."

Emmeline wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I know that I don't have to, but I want to. If you really do want me to care for you it comes with the whole package. That includes taking you to stores and buying you toys that catch your eye. Speaking of catching your eye, we also have to take you to get some new glasses" she said, taking his glasses off and putting them on herself before removing them just as fast. "Is your eyesight really this bad?"

Harry shrugged. "When the lady at my school told my Aunt Petunia that I needed glasses, she just got the cheapest ones at the drug store. I can see through them but it took me a while to adjust to them."

Emmeline scowled. "Definitely new glasses. As much as I would love to go right now, how about we go during a break? I don't want you to use these glasses any longer than you need to."

Remus agreed. "We'll read a few more chapters before taking a lunch break."

Harry smiled at Emmeline timidly. He definitely wanted new glasses but he didn't want to be a burden to her.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

'**Found the perfect place!' he said. **

"I'm not looking forward to hearing about this 'perfect place'," Neville groaned.

'**Come on! Everyone out!'**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out to sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. **

"And I was right," he sighed, crossing his arms and sitting back. Emmeline had said that he and Harry were meant to be brothers and he hated what was happening to him.

**One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

Dudley scowled at his father.

'**Storm forecast for tonight!' said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. 'And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!' **

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowing boat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.**

"I really can't believe that you're willing to put your family through all of this just because you don't want Harry to get his letter," Amelia said with a scowl.

Petunia silently agreed but kept her face blank. Vernon was making her Dudders miserable and the man with the boat scared her with just the description.

'**I've already got us some rations,' said Uncle Vernon, 'so all aboard!'**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls and the fireplace was damp and empty. **

Petunia and Molly shuddered. Why would anyone want to go there?

**There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a packet of crisps each and four bananas. **

Dudley let out another pathetic moan. He might not have been starving at the moment but he could imagine how he would feel. They had a pitiful breakfast at the hotel and now this? The only thing that made him feel better was that his mum probably took some of Harry's food for him so he could have more.

"That isn't rations," Ron said indignantly.

The other Weasleys agreed. Molly always gave them extra helpings of food and they didn't know how they would survive with what they were calling rations.

**He tried to start a fire but the empty crisp packets just smoked and shrivelled up.**

'**Could do with some of those letters now, eh?' he said cheerfully.**

"You really are asking for it, Dursley," Kingsley told him as Remus growled.

**He was in a very good mood. **

"Of course he was," Neville said with a roll of her eyes.

**Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver post. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

"Oh, the poor dear," Molly fretted.

"I understand why you're a bit pessimistic, Harry," Emmeline whispered to him. "Anyone would be living the way you have."

Harry's lips turned down a little. He didn't want pity—like the look that Molly was giving him—and he expected Emmeline to have a similar look. To his shock, she wasn't. She had a look mixed between understanding and reminiscence. When she focused on Harry again, she gave him a small smile.

"I had a friend who hated his home," she explained. "Only thing is that it was his actual family that treated him as your uncle and aunt do. He was never good enough for his parents and they always seemed to prefer his younger brother." Then she let out a deep gust of air and gave Harry a forced smile. "But I'll tell you more of that story later."

Harry was going to press the matter but he noticed her clenched fists and how Remus was rigid and had his jaw clenched. He nodded and turned to Luna who took the cue to continue.

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. **

Petunia chewed on her tongue to stop herself from shouting at her husband for taking her there. It sounded terrible!

**She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

"When are they going to get their comeuppance?" Emmeline groaned to the room.

Amelia scowled. "Oh, it's going to be happening soon," she assured her. She already had enough to get them arrested for child abuse and every little detail added was just making her more determined.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. **

"Are you cold or hungry now, Harry dear?" Molly crooned at him as Emmeline opened her mouth.

Harry flushed slightly. "No, I feel fine," he assured her as he moved closed to Emmeline. He shot Emmeline a grin when he noticed the annoyed look that she was sending Molly and whispered to her. "Really, I'm fine."

Emmeline pulled Harry closer. "If you do get hungry or cold, let me know." Harry nodded happily and pressed into her side.**

Molly scowled slightly and turned back to Luna. How was she going to get the brat away from Vance is he continued to cling to her like that?

**Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, **

"They probably did are are going to make more of an effort then usual to forget it," Tonks said with a scowl.

**wondering where the letter-writer was now.**

"At Hogwarts! We've been through this, Harry," the twins told Harry in mock exasperation.

Harry rolled his eyes at them but let out a small laugh anyways.

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did. **

"No, it wouldn't be warmer," Remus told Harry, his lips twitching. "You'll just end up wet from the rain and no shelter."

Harry turned pink and smiled sheepishly.

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

"That would work if the letters weren't following you," Charlie pointed out.

Harry's blush expanded a little and he began to rub the back of his neck.

The kids and Tonks began to snicker while the adults tried to keep their lips from twitching.

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea? **

The mirth escaped from the adults.

"I sure hope not," Arthur said as he shot Harry a worried look.

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds … twenty … ten – nine – maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him**

"You should," Ron and Ginny told him at the same time. It caused their siblings to laugh and for Molly to be slightly appeased. It seemed that she wouldn't need to put advanced loyalty charms on those two to be friends with Potter. Just minor ones would do to keep them together before she began to put love potion little by little in both Ginny's and Harry's drinks. Yes, getting the Potter fortune wouldn't be as hard as Dumbledore thought.

– **three – two – one –**

"The count down really does build the anticipation," Fred whispered to his twin.

"We should do that more often," George agreed.

**BOOM.**

Luna shouted the word, making the ones near her and Remus to flinch back. Before anyone could say anything, she continued.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"Why'd you shout for?" Neville asked her as he rubbed his ears.

Luna shrugged. "It was in caps, so I figured that I would shout it." She passed the book to him. "The chapter's done."

Harry was looking at Remus. "I know it was loud, but it wasn't that loud," he whispered as Remus rubbed his own ears.

Remus shot him a reassuring grin. "I have really good hearing. It was plenty loud for me."

Before Harry could ask more, Neville cleared his throat to begin.

"I'll tell you some other time, okay." Harry nodded and added it to the list of things to talk to Emmeline and Remus about.

* * *

* - I was watching X-Men: First Class as I was writing this chapter and I honestly couldn't resist. :p

** - I know that I'm making Harry seem like a big child right now, but he's a ten year old who hasn't had any form of affection if years. He's seeing Emmeline as his first mother figure and he's lapping up the attention like any kid who has been mistreated would.

* * *

_**next chapter:** _They read 'The Keeper of Keys'.


	5. NOTE

**A/N:** I AM SO SORRY! I got the blue screen of death on my computer and I don't know when I'll be able to fix it. I've been trying but the guy who usually fixes my computer is on vacation. :l So for now, this story is on hiatus.

I _will_ make it up to you guys as soon as I'm back. Updates will be quicker because school ends mid-May for me so I'll have more time to work on this story. I've always loved reading the books fics and I am always upset when they are incomplete, so I refuse to give up on this! Please, just be patient with me as I sort these technical difficulties. :l


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